Jupiter and the Red Spots
Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon-Miller (Goddard Space Flight Center), I. de Pater, M. Wong (UC Berkeley)
Explanation:
Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a swirling storm seen for over 300 years, since the beginning of telescopic observations. But in February 2006, planetary imager Christopher Go noticed it had been joined by Red Spot Jr - formed as smaller whitish oval-shaped storms merged and then developed the remarkable reddish hue. This sharp Hubble Space Telescope image showing the two salmon-colored Jovian storms was recorded in April. About half the size of the original Red Spot, Red Spot Jr. is similar in diameter to planet Earth. Seen here below and left of the ancient storm system, it trails the Great Red Spot by about an hour as the planet rotates from left to right. While astronomers still don't exactly understand why Jupiter's red spots are red, they do think the appearance of Red Spot Jr. provides evidence for climate change on the Solar System's ruling gas giant.
說明:
自從開始用望遠鏡觀測以來，木星的大紅斑是一個已經存在超過三百年的風暴系統。但在2006年一月，行星影像學家Christopher Go注意到它有個被稱為是小紅斑 (Red Spot Jr)的同伴；它是由較小的白色橢圓形風暴系統合併而成，後來又發展出令人驚寄的紅色色澤。這幅清晰的哈伯太空望遠鏡影像，呈現了在4月拍攝的這二個鮭魚紅色澤之木星暴風系統。小紅斑的大小約是大紅斑的一半，它的直徑和地球相當，它位在大紅斑的左下方，以落後大紅斑大約1小時的位置，隨著木星由左向右自轉。雖然天文學家並不很確定為何木星的紅斑會是紅色的，不過小紅斑的形成，可能見證了太陽系這顆最大氣態行星的氣候已經發生變化。
資料來源: Scientific American
Department of Physics, NCKU
